Schools discover the wonderful world of plants
The 'Plant science gardens: Plant science education for primary schools in European Botanic Gardens' (Plascigardens) was an EU-funded project conducted in Austria, Bulgaria, Italy and the United Kingdom. The consortium developed and evaluated teaching and learning resources in order to provide improved science education for primary schools. Project partners developed a fresh approach to teaching plant science that prepared schools for visits to botanic gardens where experiments and learning activities were carried out. The botanic gardens involved in the project contain significant collections of plants together with knowledge about their uses. The initiative provided a multilingual and multicultural plant science education tool (PSG) for teaching the subject in primary schools across Europe. The PSG was available in both printed and electronic formats. The intention was to strengthen young people's interest in plants and to encourage them to pursue a career in plant science. Plascigardens highlighted the value of partnerships among schools, botanic gardens and education authorities. In addition, the project provided the latest data regarding the status of plant science education in Europe and helped establish international partnerships among botanic garden educators. All educational material was tested before being given to schools. The overall performance of Plascigardens was evaluated using questionnaires for both teachers and pupils. Furthermore, seminars were organised for teachers, at which relevant material was also disseminated. National working groups were established in participating countries in order to monitor the project application and provide information on its findings. Following the success of Plascigardens, the need for a European network devoted to botanical education became clear, resulting in the establishment of new projects. The educational resources produced by the consortium supported teachers and helped pupils to develop scientific skills that can serve them well in later life. In addition, the project encouraged teaching professionals to work more closely with their local botanic gardens.
Keywords
Plant science, Primary schools, Science education, Botanic gardens
